| Country: | Southern Rhodesia |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 1934 Southern Rhodesian general election |
| Previous Year: | 1934 |
| Next Election: | 1946 Southern Rhodesian general election |
| Next Year: | 1946 |
| Seats For Election: | All 30 seats in the Legislative Assembly |
| Majority Seats: | 16 |
| Image1: | Huggins.jpg |
| Leader1: | Godfrey Huggins |
| Party1: | United Rhodesia Party |
| Last Election1: | 24 seats |
| Seats1: | 23 |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| Popular Vote1: | 11,161 |
| Percentage1: | 50.37% |
| Leader2: | Harry Davies |
| Party2: | Rhodesia Labour Party |
| Last Election2: | 5 seats |
| Seats2: | 7 |
| Seat Change2: | 2 |
| Popular Vote2: | 7,353 |
| Percentage2: | 33.18% |
| Prime Minister | |
| Before Election: | Godfrey Huggins |
| Before Party: | United Rhodesia Party |
| After Election: | Godfrey Huggins |
| After Party: | United Rhodesia Party |
General elections were held in Southern Rhodesia on 14 April 1939, the fifth elections since the colony of Southern Rhodesia was granted internal self-government. Prime Minister Godfrey Huggins' United Party government were re-elected in a landslide. The elections were called slightly earlier than the deadline as Huggins feared the German invasion of Czechoslovakia would lead to European War.
In 1937, a new Electoral Act was passed. The franchise was extended slightly to those who were not British subjects but who had been in active wartime service in the armed forces. Electors were also required to have lived for three months in their electoral districts. The requirement for qualifying for the vote on the basis of receiving salary or wages of £100 per annum was extended also to people with income of £100 per annum, a change which principally benefited those who had investment income but few assets. Voters were also no longer required to demonstrate proficiency in English through a dictation test. The postal vote, which had been introduced in 1928, was extended in 1937 to all voters living more than 25 miles away from the nearest polling station. Finally, those who had drawn government rations were disenfranchised.
A boundary revision in 1938 enabled the elimination of the four remaining double-member electoral districts as the Colony was split into 30 single-member districts.
Sir Percival Fynn died on 25 April 1940. Owing to the war, normal party politics had been suspended and a joint selection conference including members of both the United Party and the Rhodesia Labour Party was included. Four candidates stood for the selection: Cecil Douglas Dryden (United Party), Mrs. Gladys Maasdorp (Rhodesia Labour Party), Arthur William Redfern (Independent) and O.P. Wheeler (Independent). Redfern was selected and returned unopposed on 26 June 1940.
Edgar Whitehead resigned from the Assembly on 24 June 1940. A byelection was held to replace him on 27 August 1940.
| Constituency Electorate and turnout | Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UMTALI NORTH 821 (53.8%) | Tom Ian Finlay Wilson | UP | 312 |
| Thomas Norris | Lab | 130 |
Hugh Volant Wheeler resigned on 30 June 1940. A byelection was held in his constituency on 27 August 1940.
| Constituency Electorate and turnout | Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HARTLEY 943 (49.9%) | William Muter Leggate | RP | 247 |
| Tom Cecil Leonard Howard | Ind | 120 | |
| Leonard Tolcher Tracey | Ind | 104 |
Lewis Aloys MacDonald Hastings resigned on 30 June 1940. A byelection was held in his constituency on 27 August 1940.
| Constituency Electorate and turnout | Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| LOMAGUNDI 827 (48.1%) | George Henry Hackwill | UP | 220 |
| Edward George Holman | Ind | 178 |
William Alexander Eustace Winterton resigned on 30 October 1940. A byelection was held on 10 December 1940.
| Constituency Electorate and turnout | Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| VICTORIA 1,014 (61.4%) | Walter Brumage Richards | UP | 232 |
| Harry Joseph Filmer | Lab | 228 | |
| Richard Fraser Dott | Ind National | 163 |
Robert Clarkson Tredgold resigned on 28 February 1943. A byelection was held on 21 April 1943 to replace him.
| Constituency | Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| INSIZA | Leslie Thomas Smith | The Labour Party | 280 |
| Victor Henry Sauerman | Lab | 197 | |
| John Everett Chick | UP | 151 |